The invention generally relates to footwear, including skates (e.g., ice skates) such as for playing hockey and/or for other activities.
Skates are used by skaters in various sports such as ice hockey, roller hockey, etc. A skate comprises a skate boot that typically comprises a number of components that are assembled together to form the skate boot. This can include a shell, a toe cap, a tongue, a tendon guard, etc.
For example, an approach to manufacturing a shell of a skate boot of conventional skates consists of thermoforming different layers of synthetic material and then assembling these layers to form the shell. However, such conventional skates may sometimes be overly heavy, uncomfortable, lacking in protection in certain areas, and/or a bad fit on a skater's foot. Moreover, such conventional skates can be expensive to manufacture.
Similar considerations may arise for other types of footwear (e.g., ski boots, motorcycle boots, work boots, etc.).
For these and/or other reasons, there is a need for improvements directed to skates and other footwear.
In accordance with various aspects of the invention, there is provided a skate (e.g., an ice skate) for a skater. The skate comprises a skate boot for receiving a foot of the skater and a skating device (e.g., a blade and a blade holder) disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface. At least part of the skate boot and optionally at least part of one or more other components (e.g., the skating device) of the skate is constructed from one or more materials (e.g., foams) molded by flowing in molding equipment during a molding process (e.g., injection molding or casting). This may allow the skate to have useful performance characteristics (e.g., reduced weight, proper fit and comfort, etc.) while being more cost-effectively manufactured. Other articles of footwear are also provided.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a skate boot for a skate, the skate comprising a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot defining a cavity to receive a foot of a user, the skate boot comprising a body that comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user, wherein: the medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, and the ankle portion of the body are molded together and integral with one another; and the body comprises a plurality of layers comprising a plurality of materials that are different and molded by flowing.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a skate boot for a skate, the skate comprising a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot defining a cavity to receive a foot of a user, the method comprising: providing a molding apparatus; and molding a body of the skate boot using the molding apparatus, the body comprising a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user, wherein: the medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, and the ankle portion of the body are molded together and integral with one another; and the molding comprises causing flow of a plurality of materials that are different in the molding apparatus to form a plurality of layers of the body.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an article of footwear for receiving a foot of a user, the article of footwear comprising a body that comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user, wherein: the medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, and the ankle portion of the body are molded together and integral with one another; and the body comprises a plurality of layers comprising a plurality of materials that are different and molded by flowing.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a skate boot for a skate, the skate comprising a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot defining a cavity to receive a foot of a user, the skate boot comprising a body that comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user, wherein: the medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, and the ankle portion of the body are molded together and integral with one another; and the body comprises a plurality of injection-molded layers comprising a plurality of materials that are different.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a skate boot for a skate, the skate comprising a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot defining a cavity to receive a foot of a user, the method comprising: providing an injection molding apparatus; and injection molding a body of the skate boot using the injection molding apparatus, the body comprising a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user, wherein: the medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, and the ankle portion of the body are molded together and integral with one another; and the body comprises a plurality of injection-molded layers comprising a plurality of materials that are different.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a skate boot for a skate, the skate comprising a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface, the skate boot defining a cavity to receive a foot of a user, the skate boot comprising: a body comprising a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user; a tendon guard projecting upwardly from the body; and a slash guard comprising a cut-resistant material, extending above the body, and movable relative to the tendon guard.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a last for molding a body of a skate boot of a skate. The skate comprises a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface. The skate boot is configured to receive a foot of a user. The last is configured to mold the body of the skate boot such that the body of the skate boot comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user. The last is reconfigurable to facilitate demolding of the body of the skate boot from the last such that the last is changeable between a molding configuration to mold the body of the skate boot on the last and a demolding configuration to demold the body of the skate boot from the last.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a skate boot for a skate. The skate comprises a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface. The skate boot is configured to receive a foot of a user. The method comprises: providing a last changeable between a molding configuration and a demolding configuration; molding a body of the skate boot on the last in the molding configuration such that the body of the skate boot comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user; changing the last from the molding configuration to the demolding configuration to facilitate removal of the body of the skate boot from the last; and demolding the body of the skate boot from the last in the demolding configuration.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a last for molding a body of an article of footwear to receive a foot of a user. The last is configured to mold the body of the article of footwear such that the body of the footwear comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user. The last is reconfigurable to facilitate demolding of the body of the article of footwear from the last such that the last is changeable between a molding configuration to mold the body of the article of footwear on the last and a demolding configuration to demold the body of the article of footwear from the last.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making an article of footwear to receive a user's foot. The method comprises: providing a last changeable between a molding configuration and a demolding configuration; molding a body of the article of footwear on the last in the molding configuration such that the body of the article of footwear comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user; changing the last from the molding configuration to the demolding configuration to facilitate removal of the body of the article of footwear from the last; and demolding the body of the article of footwear from the last in the demolding configuration.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a flexible female mold member for molding a body of a skate boot of a skate. The skate comprises a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface. The skate boot is configured to receive a foot of a user. The flexible female mold member is configured to be part of a female mold and disposed adjacent to a last for molding the body of the skate boot. The flexible female mold member comprises an inner surface preformed to define a cavity between the flexible female mold member and the last to receive polymeric material to mold at least a portion of the body of the skate boot such that the inner surface of the flexible female mold member creates an outer surface of the portion of the body of the skate boot.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a skate boot of a skate. The skate comprises a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface. The skate boot is configured to receive a foot of a user. The method comprises providing a female mold and a last for molding a body of the skate boot. The female mold comprises a flexible female mold member comprising an inner surface preformed to define a cavity between the flexible female mold member and the last. The method comprises causing polymeric material to flow in the cavity to mold at least a portion of the body of the skate boot such that the inner surface of the flexible female mold member creates an outer surface of the portion of the body of the skate boot.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a flexible female mold member for molding a body of an article of footwear. The article of footwear is configured to receive a foot of a user. The flexible female mold member is configured to be part of a female mold and disposed adjacent to a last for molding the body of the article of footwear. The flexible female mold member comprises an inner surface preformed to define a cavity between the flexible female mold member and the last to receive polymeric material to mold at least a portion of the body of the article of footwear such that the inner surface of the flexible female mold member creates an outer surface of the portion of the body of the article of footwear.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making an article of footwear to receive a foot of a user. The method comprises: providing a female mold and a last for molding a body of the article of footwear. The female mold comprises a flexible female mold member comprising an inner surface preformed to define a cavity between the flexible female mold member and the last. The method comprises causing polymeric material to flow in the cavity to mold at least a portion of the body of the article of footwear such that the inner surface of the flexible female mold member creates an outer surface of the portion of the body of the article of footwear.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a skate boot of a skate. The skate comprises a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface. The skate boot is configured to receive a foot of a user. The method comprises: placing a sheet in a mold for molding a body of the skate boot; and causing flow of material in the mold to mold at least a portion of the body of the skate boot. The sheet conforms to the portion of the body of the skate boot.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a skate boot for a skate. The skate comprises a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface. The skate boot is configured to receive a foot of a user. The skate boot comprises a body comprising: a layer of material molded by flowing; and a sheet conforming to and provided during molding of the layer of material.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making an article of footwear to receive a foot of a user. The method comprises: placing a sheet in a mold for molding a body of the article of footwear; and causing flow of material in the mold to mold at least a portion of the body of the article of footwear. The sheet conforms to the portion of the body of the article of footwear.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an article of footwear to receive a foot of a user. The article of footwear comprises a body comprising: a layer of material molded by flowing; and a sheet conforming to and provided during molding of the layer of material.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a skate boot for a skate. The skate comprises a skating device disposed beneath the skate boot to engage a skating surface. The skate boot is configured to receive a foot of a user. The skate boot comprises a body that comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user. The medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, and the ankle portion of the body are molded together and integral with one another by flow of material in a mold. The body is free of parting lines opposite from one another.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided an article of footwear for receiving a foot of a user. The article of footwear comprises a body that comprises a medial side portion to face a medial side of the user's foot, a lateral side portion to face a lateral side of the user's foot, a heel portion to receive a heel of the user's foot, and an ankle portion to receive an ankle of the user. The medial side portion, the lateral side portion, the heel portion, and the ankle portion of the body are molded together and integral with one another by flow of material in a mold. The body is free of parting lines opposite from one another.
These and other aspects of the invention will now become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
A detailed description of embodiments of the invention is provided below, by way of example only, with reference to drawings annexed hereto, in which:
In the drawings, embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for purposes of illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention.
The skate 10 comprises a skate boot 22 for receiving a foot 11 of the player and a skating device 28 disposed beneath the skate boot 22 to engage the skating surface 12. In this embodiment, the skating device 28 comprises a blade 26 for contacting the ice 12 and a blade holder 24 between the skate boot 22 and the blade 26. The skate 10 has a longitudinal direction, a widthwise direction, and a heightwise direction.
In this embodiment, as further discussed below, the skate 10, including at least part of the skate boot 22 and possibly at least part of one or more other components (e.g., the blade holder 24), is constructed from one or more materials (e.g., foams) molded by flowing in molding equipment during a molding process (e.g., injection molding or casting). This may allow the skate 10 to have useful performance characteristics (e.g., reduced weight, proper fit and comfort, etc.) while being more cost-effectively manufactured.
The skate boot 22 defines a cavity 54 for receiving the player's foot 11. With additional reference to
The skate boot 22 comprises a front portion 56 for receiving the toes T of the player, a rear portion 58 for receiving the heel HL and at least part of the Achilles tendon AT and the ankle A of the player, and an intermediate portion 60 between the front portion 56 and the rear portion 58.
More particularly, in this embodiment, the skate boot 22 comprises a shell 30, a toe cap 32, a tongue 34, a tendon guard 35, a liner 36, a footbed 38, and an insole 40. The skate boot 22 also comprises lace members 441, 442 and eyelets 461-46E extending through (e.g., punched into) the lace members 441, 442, the shell 30 and the liner 36 vis-à-vis apertures 48 in order to receive laces for tying on the skate 10. In some embodiments, the skate boot 22 may not comprise any lace members and the eyelets 461-46E may extend directly through the shell 30 and the liner 36 via the apertures 48.
The shell 30 is a body of the skate boot 22 that imparts strength and structural integrity to the skate 10 to support the player's foot 11. More particularly, in this embodiment, as shown in
In this embodiment, with additional reference to
The materials M1-MN may be implemented in any suitable way. In this embodiment, each of the materials M1-MN is a polymeric material. For example, in this embodiment, each of the polymeric materials M1-MN is polyurethane (PU). Any other suitable polymer may be used in other embodiments (e.g., polypropylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), nylon, polyester, vinyl, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, polyethylene, an ionomer resin (e.g., Surlyn®), styrene-butadiene copolymer (e.g., K-Resin®) etc.), self-reinforced polypropylene composite (e.g., Curv®), or any other thermoplastic or thermosetting polymer).
In this example of implementation, each of the polymeric materials M1-MN is a foam. In this case, each of the polymeric materials M1-MN is a PU foam. This foamed aspect may allow the shell 30 to be relatively light while providing strength. For instance, in some embodiments, a density of each of the polymeric materials M1-MN may be no more than 40 kg/m3, in some cases no more than 30 kg/m3, in some cases no more than 20 kg/m3, in some cases no more than 15 kg/m3, in some cases no more 10 kg/m3 and in some cases even less. One or more of the polymeric materials M1-MN may not be foam in other examples of implementation.
In this embodiment, the materials M1-MN of the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30 constitute at least part of the heel portion 62, the ankle portion 64, the medial and lateral side portions 66, 68, and the sole portion 69 of the shell 30. More particularly, in this embodiment, the materials M1-MN constitute at least a majority (i.e., a majority or an entirety) of the heel portion 62, the ankle portion 64, the medial and lateral side portions 66, 68, and the sole portion 69 of the shell 30. In this example, the materials M1-MN constitute the entirety of the heel portion 62, the ankle portion 64, the medial and lateral side portions 66, 68, and the sole portion 69 of the shell 30.
The subshells 851-85L constituted by the polymeric materials M1-MN may have different properties for different purposes.
For instance, in some cases, a polymeric material Mx may be stiffer than a polymeric material My such that a subshell comprising the polymeric material Mx is stiffer than a subshell comprising the polymeric material My. For example, a ratio of a stiffness of the subshell comprising the polymeric material Mx over a stiffness of the subshell comprising the polymeric material My may be at least 1.5, in some cases at least 2, in some cases at least 2.5, in some cases 3, in some cases 4 and in some cases even more.
In some cases, a given one of the subshells 851-85L may be configured to be harder than another one of the subshells 851-85L. For instance, to provide a given subshell with more hardness than another subshell, the hardness of the polymeric materials M1-MN may vary. For example, a hardness of the polymeric material Mx may be greater than a hardness of the polymeric material My. For example, in some cases, a ratio of the hardness of the polymeric material Mx over the hardness of the polymeric material My may be at least 1.5, in some cases at least 2, in some cases at least 2.5, in some cases at least 3, in some cases at least 4, in some cases at least 5 and in some cases even more.
To observe the stiffness of a subshell 85x, as shown in
For example, to observe the rigidity of the subshell 85x, the three-point bending test may be performed to subject the subshell 85x to loading tending to bend the subshell 85x until a predetermined deflection of the subshell 85x is reached and measure a bending load at that predetermined deflection of the subshell 85x. The predetermined deflection of the subshell 85x may be selected such as to correspond to a predetermined strain of the subshell 85x at a specified point of the subshell 85x (e.g., a point of an inner surface of the subshell 85x). For instance, in some embodiments, the predetermined strain of the subshell 85x may be between 3% and 5%. The bending load at the predetermined deflection of the subshell 85x may be used to calculate a bending stress at the specified point of the subshell 85x. The bending stress at the specified point of the subshell 85x may be calculated as σ=My/I, where M is the moment about a neutral axis of the subshell 85x caused by the bending load, y is the perpendicular distance from the specified point of the subshell 85x to the neutral axis of the subshell 85x, and I is the second moment of area about the neutral axis of the subshell 85x. The rigidity of the subshell 85x can be taken as the bending stress at the predetermined strain (i.e., at the predetermined deflection) of the subshell 85x. Alternatively, the rigidity of the subshell 85x may be taken as the bending load at the predetermined deflection of the subshell 85x.
A stiffness of the subshells 851-85L may be related to a modulus of elasticity (i.e., Young's modulus) of the polymeric materials M1-MN associated therewith. For example, to provide a given subshell with more stiffness than another subshell, the modulus of elasticity of the polymeric materials M1-MN may vary. For instance, in some embodiments, the modulus of elasticity of the polymeric material Mx may be greater than the modulus of elasticity of the polymeric material My. For example, in some cases, a ratio of the modulus of elasticity of the polymeric material Mx over the modulus of elasticity of the polymeric material My may be at least 1.5, in some cases at least 2, in some cases at least 2.5, in some cases at least 3, in some cases at least 4, in some cases at least 5 and in some cases even more. This ratio may have any other suitable value in other embodiments.
In some cases, a given one of the subshells 851-85L may be configured to be denser than another one of the subshells 851-85L. For instance, to provide a given subshell with more density than another subshell, the density of the polymeric materials M1-MN may vary. For instance, in some embodiments, the polymeric material Mx may have a density that is greater than a density of the polymeric material My. For example, in some cases, a ratio of the density of the material Mx over the density of the material My may be at least 1.1, in some cases at least 1.5, in some cases at least 2, in some cases at least 2.5, in some cases at least 3 and in some cases even more. a certain value
In this embodiment, as shown in
The internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 comprise respective polymeric materials M1, M2, M3. In this embodiment, the polymeric materials M1, M2, M3 have different material properties that impart different characteristics to the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853. As a result, in certain cases, a given one of the subshells 851, 852, 853 may be more resistant to impact than another one of the subshells 851, 852, 853, a given one of the subshells 851, 852, 853 may be more resistant to wear than another one of the subshells 851, 852, 853, and/or a given one of the subshells 851, 852, 853 may be denser than another one of the subshells 851, 852, 853.
For instance, a density of each of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 may vary. For example, in this embodiment, the densities of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 increase inwardly such that the density of the internal subshell 851 is greater than the density of the intermediate subshell 852 which in turn is greater than the density of the external subshell 853. For example, the density of the internal subshell 851 may be approximately 30 kg/m3, while the density of the intermediate subshell 852 may be approximately 20 kg/m3, and the density of the external subshell 853 may be approximately 10 kg/m3. The densities of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 may have any other suitable values in other embodiments. In other embodiments, the densities of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 may increase outwardly such that the external subshell 853 is the densest of the subshells 851-85L. In yet other embodiments, the densities of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 may not be arranged in order of ascending or descending density.
Moreover, in this embodiment, a stiffness of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 may vary. For example, in this embodiment, the stiffness of the internal subshell 851 is greater than the respective stiffness of each of the intermediate subshell 852 and the external subshell 853.
In addition, in this embodiment, a thickness of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 may vary. For example, in this embodiment, the intermediate subshell 852 has a thickness that is greater than a respective thickness of each of the internal and external subshells 851, 853. For example, in some cases, the thickness of each of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 may be between 0.1 mm to 25 mm, and in some cases between 0.5 mm to 10 mm. For instance, the thickness of each of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 may be no more than 30 mm, in some cases no more than 25 mm, in some cases no more than 15 mm, in some cases no more than 10 mm, in some cases no more than 5 mm, in some cases no more than 1 mm, in some cases no more than 0.5 mm, in some cases no more than 0.1 mm and in some cases even less.
In order to provide the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 with their different characteristics, the polymeric materials M1, M2, M3 of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 may comprise different types of polymeric materials. For instance, in this example, the polymeric material M1 comprises a generally soft and dense foam, the polymeric material M2 comprises a structural foam that is more rigid than the foam of the polymeric material M1 and less dense than the polymeric material M1, and the polymeric material M3 is a material other than foam. For example, the polymeric material M3 of the external subshell 853 may consist of a clear polymeric coating.
The subshells 851-85L may be configured in various other ways in other embodiments. For instance, in other embodiments, the shell 30 may comprise a different number of subshells or no subshells. For example, in some embodiments, as shown in
Moreover, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In this embodiment, the subshells 851-85L constituted by the polymeric materials M1-MN are integral with one another such that they constitute a monolithic one-piece structure. That is, the subshells 851-85L constituted by the polymeric materials M1-MN are integrally connected to one another such that the shell 30 is a one-piece shell. In this example of implementation, this is achieved by the subshells 851-85L bonding to one another in the molding apparatus 150 during the molding process by virtue of chemical bonding of the polymeric materials M1-MN.
The subshells 851-85L constituted by the polymeric materials M1-MN are molded into the shape of the shell 30 by flowing into the molding apparatus 150 during the molding process. In this embodiment, the molding process comprises causing the polymeric materials M1-MN to flow (i.e., in liquid or other fluid form) in the molding apparatus 150 so as to form the subshells 851-85L and thus the shell 30 within the molding apparatus 150 and recovering the shell 30 from the molding apparatus 150 once its molding is completed.
In this embodiment, the molding process of the shell 30 is injection molding and the molding apparatus 150 comprises a male mold 152 (also commonly referred to as a “last”) with which all the polymeric materials M1-MN are molded into shape, as shown in
An example of a method for molding the shell 30 comprising the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 will be described in more detail below with reference to
With additional reference to
At this stage, with additional reference to
With additional reference to
Once the polymeric material M3 has cured for a sufficient amount of time to form the external subshell 853, the shell 30, including its now formed internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853, is demolded from (i.e., removed from) the last 152. This may be achieved in various ways.
For instance, in some embodiments, the polymeric materials M1, M2, M3 which constitute the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 may have sufficient elasticity to allow an operator of the molding apparatus 150 to remove the shell 30 from the last 152 by flexing the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 of the shell 30. In some cases, the shell 30 may be removed from the last 152 while at least a given one of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 has not fully cured such that the shell 30 has some flexibility that it would not have if the at least one given one of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 had fully cured.
Moreover, in some embodiments, with additional reference to
This may be particularly useful to mold the shell 30 on the last 152 such that the shell 30 has undercuts 511-516, i.e., recesses (e.g., depressions) or other reentrant portions, which would otherwise complicate demolding of the shell 30. For example, in this embodiment, the undercuts 511, 512 are the medial and lateral depressions 78, 80 for receiving the medial and lateral malleoli MM, LM of the player, the undercuts 513, 514 are recesses 831, 832 defined by curvature of the heel portion 62 in the longitudinal and heightwise directions of the skate 10 and curvature of the heel portion 62 in the widthwise direction of the skate 10 such that the heel portion 62 is substantially cup-shaped, and the undercuts 515, 516 are recesses 861, 862 defined by curvature of the medial side portion 66 and curvature of the lateral side portion 68 in the longitudinal and heightwise directions of the skate 10 adjacent to the player's forefoot. The shell 30 may have any other suitable undercut such as the undercuts 511-516 in other embodiments.
Furthermore, this may facilitate demolding of the shell 30 from the last 152 without deforming the shell 30. That is, a shape of the shell 30 once molding is completed can be maintained during and upon demolding. In this example, this may be useful as the shell 30 is rigid (e.g., to avoid stressing the shell 30, etc.).
For example, in some embodiments, a volume occupied by the last 152 may be reduced from its molding configuration to its demolding configuration such that the volume occupied by the last 152 in its demolding configuration is smaller than the volume occupied by the last 152 in its molding configuration.
In some embodiments, as shown in
As a variant, in some embodiments, as shown in
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in
In this embodiment, respective ones of the last members 1751-175M are movable relative to one another while remaining connected to one another as the last 152 changes between its molding configuration and its demolding configuration. The last 152 comprises a control system 187 to control movement of the last members 1751-175M relative to one another. The control system 187 comprises a linkage 181 that includes links 1831-183C linking adjacent ones of the last members 1751-175M so that they are movable relative to one another and an actuating mechanism 191 that includes a plurality of actuators 1931-1934 operable to move the last members 1751-175M relative to one another between the molding configuration of the last 152 and the demolding configuration of the last 152.
Adjacent ones of the last members 1751-175M may be translatable and/or rotatable relative to one to change the last 152 between its molding configuration and its demolding configuration. That is, adjacent ones of the last members 1751-175M may move relative to one by translation, rotation, or a combination of translation and rotation to change the last 152 between its molding configuration and its demolding configuration. For example, in this embodiment, the linkage 181 comprises translation guides 1951-1954 for translating adjacent ones of the last members 1751-175M relative to one another and a pivot 197 for pivoting adjacent ones of the last members 1751-175M relative to one another.
In this embodiment, the last member 1751 is a front central last member to form part of a front region of the shell 30 including a central part of the toe cap 32 integrally formed with the shell 30 and a front central part of the sole portion 69; the last member 1753 is a rear central last member to form part of a rear central region of the shell 30 including a central part of the heel portion 62, a central part of the ankle portion 64, and a rear central part of the sole portion 69; the last member 1752 is an intermediate central last member disposed between the front central last member 1751 and the rear central last member 1753 to form an intermediate central part of the sole portion 69; and the last members 1754, 1754 are medial and lateral last members to form medial and lateral parts of the heel portion 62, medial and lateral parts of the ankle portion 64, medial and lateral parts of the sole portion 69, medial and lateral parts of the toe cap 32 integrally formed with the shell 30, and the medial and lateral side portions 66, 68 of the shell 30.
More particularly, in this embodiment, the last members 1751-175M are movable relative to one another to change the last 152 from its molding configuration to its demolding configuration by: (1) translating the intermediate central last member 1752 upwardly relative to the front central last member 1751 and the rear central last member 1753 via the translation guide 1951, 1952; (2) translating the intermediate central last member 1752 forwardly towards the front central last member 1751 via the translation guide 1952 that is slanted relative to the translation guide 1951 such that the front central last member 1751 and the rear central last member 1753 are closer to one another and the rear central last member 1753 clears the heel portion 62 of the shell 30; (3) translating the rear central last member 1753 upwardly relative to the front central last member 1751 via the translation guide 1952; (4) pivoting the front central last member 1751, the rear central last member 1753 and the intermediate central last member 1752 together about the pivot 197 so that the front central last member 1751 clears the central part of the toe cap 32 integrally formed with the shell 30; and (5) translating the medial and lateral last members 1754, 1754 laterally towards one another to clear the medial and lateral parts of the heel portion 62, the medial and lateral parts of the ankle portion 64, the medial and lateral parts of the sole portion 69, the medial and lateral parts of the toe cap 32 integrally formed with the shell 30, and the medial and lateral side portions 66, 68 of the shell 30, thereby clearing all of the shell 30 that can be removed from the last 152. The shell 30 can thus be molded and easily demolded, even with its undercuts 511-516, without deforming it during demolding.
In a variant, in some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, respective ones of the last members 1751-175M of the last 152 may be movable relative to one another by disconnecting and separating them from one another. For example, one or more of the last members 1751-175M of the last 152 may be disassembled to facilitate removal of the shell 30 from the last 152. In such embodiments, one or more of the links 1831-183C linking adjacent ones of the last members 1751-175M allow these adjacent last members to be connected to one another in the molding configuration of the last 152 and to be disconnected and separated from one another in the demolding configuration of the last 152.
The last members 1751-175M may comprise any suitable material. In this embodiment, the last members 1751-175M are rigid. For example, the last members 1751-175M may be made of metal, rigid plastic, wood, or any other suitable material.
In a variant, in some embodiments, as shown in
In this embodiment, the sheath 179 is flexible to facilitate its placement onto the base 199 of the last 152 and its subsequent removal upon molding, yet sufficiently strong to maintain its desired shape during molding of the shell 30. For instance, in some embodiments, the sheath 179 may comprise an elastomeric material, such as silicone rubber or any other polymeric material with suitable elasticity. For example, in some embodiments, a hardness of the elastomeric material of the sheath 179 may be between 10 Shore A and 99 Shore A of have any other suitable value. This may create a sealing effect to protect against leakage of the polymeric material M1 during injection. Also, the sheath 179 may have a smooth external surface that may reduce or eliminate internal parting lines on the shell 30.
Thus, in this embodiment, the sheath 179 is placed over the base 199 of the last 152 for molding the shell 30. This is facilitated by flexibility of the sheath 179. Then, to demold the shell 30, the last member 1752 is moved relative to the last member 1751 and the sheath 179 to clear a front region of the sheath 179. In this example, the last member 1751 includes a cavity 171 and the last member 1752 is rotatable into the cavity 171, thus effectively moving into an interior of the last member 1751. The last member 1751 and the last member 1752 which is located in the cavity 171 are then moved upwardly out of the sheath 179. The shell 30 may be removed by deforming the sheath 179 to take the shell 30 away from it. Alternatively, in some cases, the sheath 179 may be left in the shell 30 to be part of the skate boot 22 of the skate 10.
The sheath 179 of the last 152 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments.
For example, in some embodiments, the sheath 179 may comprises a reinforcement (e.g., a layer of fabric such as mesh, a thin metallic layer, a plastic film, etc.) within its elastomeric material to reinforce it (e.g., protect against tearing).
As another example, in some embodiments, the sheath 179 may be injection molded using a thermoplastic material such as polypropylene, polyethylene (e.g., high-density polyethylene), or any other suitable material (e.g., with low surface adhesion).
As another example, in some embodiments, as shown in
As another example, in some embodiments, the sheath 179 may be a film placed (e.g., wrapped about) the base 199 of the last 152.
As another example, in other embodiments, the sheath 179 may be an impermeable sock pullable onto and off the last 152.
The control system 187 to control movement of the last members 1751-175M relative to one another may be implemented in any other suitable way in other embodiments.
For example, in some embodiments, as shown in
The last members 1751-175M may be implemented in any other suitable way in other embodiments. For example, in various embodiments, the last members 1751-175M may have any other suitable shape, there may be any other suitable number of last members (e.g., two, three, four, six, seven, etc. last members), respective ones of the last members 1751-175M may move in any other way relative to one another, etc. Also, in various embodiments, features of the last members 1751-175M of different embodiments considered herein may be combined together in some examples of implementation.
With additional reference to
For example, in this embodiment, the membrane 410 is part of the female mold 1541 such that its inner surface 414 is preformed to define the mold cavity 156 between itself and the last 152 in which the polymeric material M1 is injected to mold the subshell 851 such that the inner surface 414 creates the outer surface of the subshell 851.
The inner surface 414 of the membrane 410 is preformed in that it is formed to define the mold cavity 156 to mold the subshell 851 and create the outer surface of the subshell 851 before the membrane 410 is placed in the molding apparatus 150. For instance, the membrane 410 may be preformed in a separate mold in a prior operation.
The membrane 410 is flexible to flex during movement of the portions 155, 157 of the female mold 1541 when closing and opening the female mold 1541 and overlies one or more spaces where the portions 155, 157 of the female mold 1541 move relative to one another. This allows one or more parting lines to be avoided as the membrane 410 overlies where these one or more parting lines would otherwise be located.
In this embodiment, the membrane 410 extends continuously to constitute to at least a majority (i.e., a majority or an entirety) of the inner surface of the female mold 1541 and to create at least a majority of the outer surface of the subshell 851. More particularly, in this embodiment, the membrane 410 comprises medial and lateral side portions 420, 422, an ankle portion 424, a heel portion 426, and a sole portion 428 that are integral and continuous with one another as a one-piece structure. In this example, the membrane 410 is flexible and jointless (i.e., without any joint) at the heel portion 426 and a rear of the ankle portion 424, while the medial and lateral side portions 420, 422 and medial and lateral parts of the sole portion 428 are separable and movable relative to one another, to allow the membrane 410 to flex during movement of the portions 155, 157 of the female mold 1541 when closing and opening the female mold 1541.
Thus, in this embodiment, the membrane 410 is configured such that the subshell 851 may be free of parting lines opposite from one another (i.e., on opposite sides of the subshell 851). For instance, in this embodiment, the subshell 851 may have a parting line 263, which in this example is in a toe portion of the subshell 851, but is free of any parting line opposite to the parting line 263, i.e., at an opposite side of the subshell 851, which in this example is a heel portion and a rear of an ankle portion of the subshell 851, because of the membrane 410.
In this embodiment, the membrane 410 may comprise an elastomeric material, such as silicone rubber, any other rubber, or any other polymeric material with suitable elasticity. For example, in some embodiments, a hardness of the elastomeric material of the membrane 410 may be between 10 Shore A and 99 Shore A of have any other suitable value.
The membrane 410 of the molding apparatus 150 may be implemented in various other ways in other embodiments.
For example, in other embodiments, the membrane 410 may be flexible and jointless at other areas while separable and movable elsewhere to allow the membrane 410 to flex during movement of the portions 155, 157 of the female mold 1541 when closing and opening the female mold 1541. For instance, in some embodiments, the membrane 410 may be flexible and jointless at the sole portion 428, while medial and lateral parts of the ankle portion 424, medial and lateral parts of the heel portion 426, and the medial and lateral side portions 420, 422 are separable and movable relative to one another, to allow the membrane 410 to flex during movement of the portions 155, 157 of the female mold 1541 when closing and opening the female mold 1541. In other embodiments, the membrane 410 may be flexible and jointless at a front portion, while medial and lateral parts of the sole portion 428, medial and lateral parts of the ankle portion 424, medial and lateral parts of the heel portion 426 and the medial and lateral side portions 420, 422 are separable and movable relative to one another, to allow the membrane 410 to flex during movement of the portions 155, 157 of the female mold 1541 when closing and opening the female mold 1541.
As another example, in some embodiments, the membrane 410 may comprises a reinforcement (e.g., a layer of fabric such as mesh, a thin metallic layer, a plastic film, etc.) within its elastomeric material to reinforce it (e.g., protect against tearing).
As another example, in some embodiments, the membrane 410 may be injection molded using a thermoplastic material such as polypropylene, polyethylene (e.g., high-density polyethylene), or any other suitable material (e.g.,with low surface adhesion).
As another example, in some embodiments, the membrane 410 may be incorporated into a rigid casting of a material (e.g., polyurethane, epoxy or other polymeric material; aluminum, steel or other metallic material; cement; etc.) stiffer and stronger than that of the membrane.
While the molding process has been described as being performed on a single molding apparatus 150, in some embodiments, the molding process may utilize various molding apparatuses (e.g., molding stations), each apparatus comprising a different female mold 154i. In such embodiments, the last 152, still mounted with at least one subshell 85i, can be moved from one molding station to the next without requiring removal of the female molds installed on the various molding apparatuses. In some embodiments, molding stations may be horizontally distributed (e.g., linearly and/or in a carrousel or other rotary or otherwise curved arrangement). In other embodiments, molding stations may be vertically distributed such as being stacked vertically over one another, which may be more efficient space-wise.
With additional reference to
The reinforcement 115 may be configured in any suitable way. For instance, as shown in
Alternatively, as shown in
Furthermore, in some embodiments, the reinforcing sheet 119 may comprise a fabric or textile material. For example, the reinforcing sheet 119 may comprise a fabric mesh such as a nylon mesh or any other suitable fabric material. For example, the reinforcing sheet 119 may envelop the subshell 85x over which it is disposed such as to cover at least a majority (i.e., a majority or an entirety) of an outer surface of that subshell 85x. Moreover, the reinforcing sheet 119 may also cover at least a majority of an internal surface of a subsequent subshell 85y overlying the subshell 85x. Thus, the reinforcing sheet 119 may extend from the lateral side portion 66 to the medial side portion 68 of the shell 30. In other cases, the reinforcing sheet 119 may be disposed at limited portions of the shell 30 (e.g., only the ankle portion 64 of the shell 30).
In another example, as shown in
In some embodiments, multiple reinforcements 115 may be included between the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30. For instance, a rib 117i may be disposed at a selected area of the shell 30 while a reinforcing sheet 119 may be disposed at another selected area of the shell 30.
Moreover, in some embodiments, rather than or in addition of the reinforcement 115, the shell 30 may comprise a decoration 121, which can be referred to as a design element, disposed between certain ones of the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30 such as, for instance, between the intermediate and external subshells 852, 853 as shown in
Once the reinforcement 115 (or multiple reinforcements 115) and/or the design element 121 (or multiple design elements 121) has been affixed to the exterior surface of the intermediate subshell 852, the molding process proceeds as described above. Notably, the next subshell, in this case the external subshell 853, is formed such that it covers the reinforcement 115 and/or the design element 121 thus trapping the reinforcement 115 and/or the design element 121 between the intermediate subshell 852 and the external subshell 853. In some embodiments, the external subshell 853 may be clear (i.e., translucent) and may thus allow displaying the reinforcement 115 and/or the design element 121 through the external subshell 853. This may be particularly useful to display the design element 121 but may also be useful to display the reinforcement 115 for aesthetic purposes.
In this embodiment, the molding process employed to form the shell 30 is low-pressure injection molding. That is, the polymeric materials M1-MN that constitute the subshells 851-85L are injected into the mold cavity formed by each mold 154i at a relatively low pressure. In addition, the molding process employed to form the shell 30 may be characterized as a co-injection molding process since the polymeric materials M1-MN are injected into a same mold.
In this embodiment, no external heat is applied to the polymeric materials M1-MN of the shell 30. Rather, in this embodiment, as shown in
The molding process of the shell 30 may be implemented in any suitable way in other embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, injection molding at higher pressure may be used. As another example, in some embodiments, two or more lasts such as the last 152 may be used (e.g., different lasts for molding respective ones of the subshells 851-85L). Moreover, the last 152 may be configured differently than the last shown in
The skate boot 22 may comprise an overlay 102 on an external surface 65 of the shell 30 for aesthetic or functional purposes.
With additional reference to
The overlay 102 may be affixed to the external surface 65 of the shell 30 in various ways. For instance, each of the overlay elements 1041-104O may be mechanically fastened to the external surface 65 of the shell 30 (e.g., via stitching, staples, etc.), glued thereto via an adhesive, or ultrasonically bonded. The overlay elements 1041-104O may be affixed to the external surface 65 of the shell 30 in any other suitable way.
The inner lining 36 of the skate boot 22 is affixed to an inner surface of the shell 30 and comprises an inner surface 96 for facing the heel HL and medial and lateral sides MS, LS of the player's foot 11 and ankle A in use. The inner lining 36 may be made of a soft material (e.g., a fabric made of NYLON® fibers or any other suitable fabric). The footbed 38 is mounted inside the shell 30 and comprises an upper surface 106 for receiving the plantar surface PS of the player's foot 11 and a wall 108 projecting upwardly from the upper surface 106 to partially cup the heel HL and extend up to a medial line of the player's foot 11. The insole 40 has an upper surface 25 for facing the plantar surface PS of the player's foot 11 and a lower surface 23 on which the shell 30 may be affixed.
In some embodiments, the skate boot 22 may not comprise an inner lining 36. For instance, the internal subshell 851 of the shell 30 of the skate boot 22 may serve as an inner lining already and thus the addition of the inner lining 36 may be redundant. In other cases, the inner lining 36 may be inserted during the molding process using the molding apparatus 150. For example, a textile material may first be placed on the last 152 prior to forming the first subshell (i.e., the internal subshell 851) such as to serve as a pre-formed “sock” onto which the internal subshell 851 is formed.
The toe cap 32 of the skate boot 22 is configured to face and protect the toes T of the player's foot 11. As will be described in more detail below, in this example, at least part (i.e., part or all) of the toe cap 32 is formed integrally with the shell 30. As shown in
The toe cap 32 may comprise a synthetic material 105 that imparts stiffness to the toe cap 32. For instance, in various embodiments, the synthetic material 105 of the toe cap 32 may comprise nylon, polycarbonate materials (e.g., Lexan®), polyurethane, thermoplastics, thermosetting resins, reinforced thermoplastics, reinforced thermosetting resins, polyethylene, polypropylene, high density polyethylene or any other suitable material. In some cases, the synthetic material 105 of the toe cap 32 may be a composite material comprising thermoset material, thermoplastic material, carbon fibers and/or fiberglass fibers. For example, the composite material may be a fiber-matrix composite material that comprises a matrix in which fibers are embedded. The matrix may include any suitable polymeric resin, such as a thermosetting polymeric material (e.g., polyester, vinyl ester, vinyl ether, polyurethane, epoxy, cyanate ester, etc.), a thermoplastic polymeric material (e.g., polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, acrylic resin, polyether ether ketone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, nylon, polyimide, polysulfone, polyamide-imide, self-reinforcing polyphenylene, etc.), or a hybrid thermosetting-thermoplastic polymeric material. The fibers may be made of any suitable material such as carbon fibers, polymeric fibers such as aramid fibers, boron fibers, glass fibers, ceramic fibers, etc.
The tongue 34 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the toe cap 32 for overlapping the top surface TS of the player's foot 11. In this embodiment, with additional reference to
The tendon guard 35 extends upwardly from the rear portion 82 of the ankle portion 64 of the shell 30 in order to protect the player's Achilles tendon AT. As will be described in more detail below, in this embodiment, at least part (i.e., part or all) of the tendon guard 35 is integrally formed with the shell 30 of the skate boot 22. In other embodiments, the tendon guard 35 may be a separate component from the shell 30 such that the tendon guard 35 is fastened to the shell 30 via a mechanical fastener (e.g., via stitching, stapling, a screw, etc.) or in any other suitable way.
The skate boot 22 may be constructed in any other suitable way in other embodiments. For example, in other embodiments, various components of the skate boot 22 mentioned above may be configured differently or omitted and/or the skate boot 22 may comprise any other components that may be made of any other suitable materials and/or using any other suitable processes.
As shown in
As shown in
The blade-retaining base 164 is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder 24 and is configured to retain the blade 26 such that the blade 26 extends along a bottom portion 186 of the blade-retaining base 164 to contact the ice surface 12. To that end, the blade-retaining base 164 comprises a blade-retention portion 188 to face and retain the blade 26. In this embodiment, as shown in
The blade holder 24 can retain the blade 26 in any suitable way. For instance, in this embodiment, the blade 26 may be permanently affixed to the blade holder 24 (i.e., not intended to be detached and removed from the blade holder 24). For example, as shown in
In this embodiment, the blade-retaining base 164 comprises a plurality of apertures 2081-2084 distributed in the longitudinal direction of the blade holder 24 and extending from the medial side 182 to the lateral side 184 of the blade holder 24. In this example, respective ones of the apertures 2081-2084 differ in size. The apertures 2081-2084 may have any other suitable configuration, or may be omitted, in other embodiments.
The blade-retaining base 164 may be configured in any other suitable way in other embodiments.
The support 168 is configured for supporting the skate boot 22 above the blade-retaining base 164 and transmit forces to and from the blade-retaining base 164 during skating. In this embodiment, the support 168 comprises a front pillar 210 and a rear pillar 212 which extend upwardly from the blade-retaining base 164 towards the skate boot 22. The front pillar 210 extends towards the front portion 56 of the skate boot 22 and the rear pillar 212 extends towards the rear portion 58 of the skate boot 22. The blade-retaining base 164 extends from the front pillar 210 to the rear pillar 212. More particularly, in this embodiment, the blade-retaining base 164 comprises a bridge 214 interconnecting the front and rear pillars 210, 212.
In this embodiment, at least part (i.e., part or all) of the blade holder 24 is integrally formed with the shell 30 of the skate boot 22. That is, at least part of the blade holder 24 and the shell 30 of the skate boot 22 constitute a monolithic one-piece structure. The blade holder 24 thus comprises a portion 215 that is integrally formed with the shell 30 of the skate boot 22 such that the portion 215 of the blade holder 34 and the shell 30 of the skate boot 22 are formed together as one-piece in the molding apparatus 150 during the molding process.
In this embodiment, the portion 215 of the blade holder 24 includes one or more of the polymeric materials M1-MN of the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30 of the skate boot 22. For instance, in this example, the portion 215 of the blade holder 24 includes the intermediate and external subshells 852, 853 and therefore comprises the polymeric materials M2, M3 associated therewith. In particular, in this example, a majority of the blade holder 24 is constituted by the polymeric material M2 of the intermediate subshell 852 such that the blade holder 24 consists primarily of a structural foam material. Alternatively, the portion 215 of the blade holder 24 may include one or more different materials.
In this embodiment, at least a majority (i.e., a majority or an entirety) of the blade holder 24 may be integrally formed with shell 30. That is, the portion 215 of the blade holder 24 may be a major portion or the entirety of the blade holder 24. In this embodiment, an entirety of the blade holder 24 is integrally formed with the shell 30.
Therefore, in this embodiment, the blade holder 24 is formed with the shell 30 in the molding apparatus 150 with the last 152. In particular, the blade holder 24 is initially formed during forming of the intermediate subshell 852 of the shell 30 and is completed by the forming of the external subshell 853 of the shell 30. That is, in this embodiment, as shown in
Moreover, in this embodiment, the blade 26 is attached to the blade holder 24 during the molding process by including the blade 26 in a given mold 154i such that the blade holder 24 overmolds the blade 26 during the molding process. For instance, the mold 154i may be designed specifically to hold the blade 26 during the molding process prior to the forming of the intermediate subshell 852.
In this embodiment, one or more other components (e.g., the toe cap 32, the tendon guard 35, the lace members 441, 442, the tongue 34, the footbed 38, etc.) of the skate boot 22 may be molded integrally with the shell 30 in the molding apparatus 150 during the molding process. The shell 30 and these one or more other components of the skate boot 22 may thus constitute a monolithic one-piece structure.
For example, in this embodiment, the toe cap 32, the tendon guard 35, and the lace members 441, 442 are molded integrally with the shell 30 in the molding apparatus 150 during the molding process.
For instance, in this embodiment, the toe cap 32 comprises a portion 217 that is integrally formed with the shell 30 such that the portion 217 of the toe cap 32 of the skate boot 22 and the shell 30 of the skate boot 22 are formed together as one-piece in the molding apparatus 150 during the molding process. As such, the portion 217 of the toe cap 32 of the skate boot 22 may include one or more of the polymeric materials M1-MN of the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30 of the skate boot 22.
In this embodiment, the portion 217 of the toe cap 32 includes one or more of the polymeric materials M1-MN of the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30 of the skate boot 22. For instance, in this example, the portion 217 of the toe cap 32 includes the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 and therefore comprises the polymeric materials M1, M2, M3 associated therewith. Alternatively, the portion 217 of the toe cap 32 may include one or more different materials.
Moreover, in this embodiment, the tendon guard 35 comprises a portion 219 that is integrally formed with the shell 30 such that the portion 219 of the tendon guard 35 of the skate boot 22 and the shell 30 of the skate boot 22 are formed together as one-piece in the molding apparatus 150 during the molding process. As such, the portion 219 of the tendon guard 35 of the skate boot 22 may include one or more of the polymeric materials M1-MN of the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30 of the skate boot 22. For instance, in this example, the portion 219 of the tendon guard 35 includes solely the external subshell 853 and therefore comprises the polymeric material M3 associated therewith. Alternatively, the portion 219 of the tendon guard 35 may include one or more different materials. For example, in some embodiments, the portion 219 of the tendon guard 219 may also comprise the internal subshell 851 and/or the intermediate subshell 852 such that the portion 219 of the tendon guard 35 also comprises the polymeric material M1 and/or the polymeric material M2 associated therewith.
Moreover, in this embodiment, each of the lace members 441, 442 comprises a portion 221 that is integrally formed with the shell 30 such that the portion 221 of each of the lace members 441, 442 of the skate boot 22 and the shell 30 of the skate boot 22 are formed together as one-piece in the molding apparatus 150 during the molding process. As such, the portion 221 of each lace member 44i of the skate boot 22 may include one or more of the polymeric materials M1-MN of the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30 of the skate boot 22. For instance, in this example, the portion 221 of the lace member 44i includes solely the external subshell 853 and therefore comprises the polymeric material M3 associated therewith. Alternatively, the portion 221 of the lace member 44i may include one or more different materials. For example, in some embodiments, the portion 221 of the lace member 44i may also comprise the internal subshell 851 and/or the intermediate subshell 852 such that the portion 221 of the lace member 44i also comprises the polymeric material M1 and/or the polymeric material M2 associated therewith. Moreover, in this embodiment, the apertures 48 that extend through the lace members 441, 442 are formed during the molding process by appropriate structures (e.g., projections) of the last 152 and an associated female mold 154i.
The skate 10 may be implemented in any other suitable manner in other embodiments.
For example, in some embodiments, as shown in
For instance, in some embodiments, the blade holder 24 may retain the blade 26 in any other suitable way. For example, in other embodiments, as shown in
More particularly, in this embodiment, the blade 26 includes a plurality of projections 194, 196. The blade-detachment mechanism 192 includes an actuator 198 and a biasing element 200 which biases the actuator 198 in a direction towards the front portion 170 of the blade holder 24. In this embodiment, the actuator 198 comprises a trigger. To attach the blade 26 to the blade holder 24, the front projection 194 is first positioned within a hollow space 202 (e.g., a recess or hole) of the blade holder 24. The rear projection 196 can then be pushed upwardly into a hollow space 204 (e.g., a recess or hole) of the blade holder 24, thereby causing the biasing element 200 to bend and the actuator 198 to move in a rearward direction. The rear projection 196 will eventually reach a position which will allow the biasing element 200 to force the actuator 198 towards the front portion 170 of the blade holder 24, thereby locking the blade 26 in place. The blade 26 can then be removed by pushing against a finger-actuating surface 206 of the actuator 198 to release the rear projection 196 from the hollow space 204 of the blade holder 24. Thus, in this embodiment, the blade-detachment mechanism 192 is free of any threaded fastener (e.g., a screw or bolt) to be manipulated to detach and remove the blade 26 from the blade holder 24 or to attach the blade 26 to the blade holder 24.
Further information on examples of implementation of the blade-detachment mechanism 192 in some embodiments may be obtained from U.S. Pat. No. 8,454,030 hereby incorporated by reference herein. The blade-detachment mechanism 192 may be configured in any other suitable way in other embodiments.
The blade 26 may be implemented in any other suitable way in other embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, one or more other components (e.g., the tongue 34, the footbed 38, etc.) of the skate boot 22 may be molded integrally with the shell 30 in the molding apparatus 150 during the molding process. The shell 30 and these one or more other components of the skate boot 22 may thus constitute a monolithic one-piece structure. A given component of the skate boot 22 may therefore comprise a portion 235 that is integrally formed with the shell 30 such that the portion 235 of the given component of the skate boot 22 and the shell 30 of the skate boot 22 are formed together as one-piece in the molding apparatus 150 during the molding process.
As such, the portion 235 of the given component of the skate boot 22 may include one or more of the polymeric materials M1-MN of the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30 of the skate boot 22. For instance, the portion 235 of the given component may include one or more of the internal, intermediate and external subshells 851, 852, 853 and therefore may comprise one or more of the polymeric materials M1, M2, M3 associated therewith. Alternatively, the portion 235 of the given component may include one or more different materials.
For example, in some embodiments, with additional reference to
As shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, at least a portion of (i.e., part or an entirety of) the blade holder 24 may be attached to a given one of the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30. For instance, the portion of the blade holder 24 may be joined to the given one of the subshells 851-85L during forming of the shell 30. For example, as shown in
In other embodiments, as discussed above, the portion of the blade holder 24 may be formed during the molding process of the shell 30. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, with additional reference to
For example, in some embodiments, as shown in
In other embodiments, as shown in
As shown in
In such embodiments where the shell 30 and possibly one or more other components of the skate boot 22 are manufactured separately from the blade holder 24, the skate boot 22 may comprise an outsole 42, as shown in in
More particularly, in this embodiment, the rigid material of the outsole 42 comprises a composite material. For example, the composite material may be a fiber-matrix composite material that comprises a matrix in which fibers are embedded. The matrix may include any suitable polymeric resin, such as a thermosetting polymeric material (e.g., polyester, vinyl ester, vinyl ether, polyurethane, epoxy, cyanate ester, etc.), a thermoplastic polymeric material (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, acrylic resin, polyether ether ketone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, nylon, polyimide, polysulfone, polyamide-imide, self-reinforcing polyphenylene, etc.), or a hybrid thermosetting-thermoplastic polymeric material. The fibers may be made of any suitable material such as carbon fibers, polymeric fibers such as aramid fibers, boron fibers, glass fibers, ceramic fibers, etc. In other embodiments, the rigid material may comprise any other suitable material (e.g., nylon, polycarbonate materials, polyurethane, thermoplastics, thermosetting resins, reinforced thermoplastics, reinforced thermosetting resins, polyethylene, polypropylene, high density polyethylene).
Moreover, in such embodiments where the skate boot 22 and the blade holder 24 are manufactured separately, the support 168 of the blade holder 24 and the skate boot 22 may be affixed to one another in any suitable way. For example, in some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, the skate boot 22 may comprise a reinforcement 270 molded integrally with the shell 30 to enhance a torsional strength of the skate boot 22 and/or protection of the player's foot 11 against impacts (e.g., from a puck or hockey stick).
For instance, the reinforcement 270 may comprise an extension 272 that extends beyond the ankle portion 64 of the shell 30 of the skate boot 22 in the longitudinal direction of the skate 10. In contrast,
With additional reference to
In an example of the variant, as shown in
In some embodiments, the extension 272 may comprise a plurality of free ends 2761, 2762 that are movable relative to one another and converge toward one another. In some embodiments, as shown in
In some embodiments, each free end 276i of the extension 272 may comprise an overlapping portion 282 that overlaps another portion of the free end 276i in the longitudinal direction of the skate 10. For example, as shown in
In a variant, the extension 272 may be in the rear portion 82 of the ankle portion 64 of the shell 30. For instance, as shown in
In some examples of the variant where an extension 272, 284 of the skate boot 22 extends rearwardly of the ankle portion 64 of the shell 30, the tendon guard 35 may be omitted in order to provide additional flexibility when skating.
In another variant, the reinforcement 270 may comprise the lace members 441, 442 of the skate boot 22. That is, the lace members 441, 442 may be configured to enhance a torsional strength of the skate boot 22 and/or protection of the player's foot 11 against impacts. For instance, as shown in
As shown in
The twisted configuration of the skate boot 22 may increase the torsional rigidity and frontal impact protection of the skate boot 22 and thus may allow the shell 30 and/or other components of the skate boot 22 (e.g., the toe cap 32) to have a reduced thickness compared to a conventional skate boot without the twisted configuration where the lace members are confined to a single one of the medial or lateral halves of the skate boot. Moreover, the twisted configuration of the skate boot 22 may allow the skate boot 22 to be flexed in a different direction compared to a conventional skate boot. For instance, the twisted configuration of the skate boot 22 may allow the player to flex the skate boot 22 in the medial half 278 of the skate boot 22 in an area around the toe cap 32. As a result, the twisted configuration of the skate boot 22 may allow better conservation of energy used by the player to propulse himself/herself on the ice 12.
In another variant, with additional reference to
In another variant, with reference to
In another variant, the shell 30 and/or the blade holder 24 and/or another component of the skate boot 22 that is made integrally with the shell 30 may comprise one or more inserts 3151-315N over which one or more of the subshells 851-85L may be molded. For instance, as shown in
In other examples, the inserts 3151-315N may not be part of the blade holder 24 but may instead form part of the shell 30. For instance, as shown in
In this example, the inserts 3151-315N comprise a foam material. In particular, the foam material of the inserts 3151-315N has a density that is less than the density of the exterior subshell 853. This may be helpful to reduce the weight of the skate 10.
In another variant, as shown in
The inserts 4151-415N may thus be distributed to achieve a desired performance of the skate boot 22. For example,
In some cases, rather than filling the void formed in the subshell 85x, the void may be left unfilled. This may modify the torsional characteristics of the skate boot 22. For example, as shown in
In another variant, with reference to
In an example, the sheet 615 is overlaid on one or more of the formed subshells 851-85L such as to acquire a shape of the underlying subshell 85x (e.g., by thermoforming the sheet 615). In this example, the sheet 615 extends over at least a majority of the subshell 85x. In some cases, the sheet 615 may extend over substantially an entirety of the subshell 85x. The sheet 615 may then be sealed (e.g., heat sealed) to form a seam 617. A female mold 154x is then installed over the formed subshells 851-85L and a material My of the subsequent subshell 85y is injected between the sheet 615 and the underlying subshell 85x. Once the subshell 85y has cured a desired amount, the subshell 85y is demolded from the mold 154x. The sheet 615 may allow the molding process of the subshell 85y to be faster than if no sheet was used. Notably, the presence of the sheet 615 between the material My and the female mold 154x may allow faster removal of the subshell 85y therefrom as the subshell 85y can be removed from the mold 154x without the material My having to have gone through its full polymerization. In contrast, if no sheet was used during the molding process, early removal of the subshell 85y from the mold 154x may compromise the quality of the subshell 85y (e.g., it may be deformed). Furthermore, due to the presence of the sheet 615 between the material My and the female mold 154x, the molding process may not require the addition of a mold release agent on surfaces of the mold 154x which is typically included to facilitate demolding. As such, the presence of the sheet 615 facilitates demolding of the subshells 851-85L from the female mold 154x without using a mold release agent. This may also decrease imperfections in the subshell 85y since mold release agents, while useful, have a tendency to introduce imperfections in a molded product. Moreover, if fewer imperfections are formed, this may improve bonding between a subsequent subshell 85z (that is molded over the subshell 85y) and the subshell 85y,
Once the subshell 85y is molded, the sheet 615 may be disposed of and a new sheet 615 used in a similar manner to mold a subsequent subshell if any. Due to the relatively low cost of manufacturing the sheet 615, using the sheet 615 in the molding process may inexpensively increase quality of the subshells 851-85L formed therewith.
In another example, the sheet 615 may not be disposed of after molding. Instead, as shown in
In the example of
While in the examples given, the sheet 615 has been shown as being disposed between the subshells 851-85L, in other examples the sheet 615 may be disposed between the inner lining 36 and the internal subshell 851.
As another example, in some embodiments, the sheet 615 may be placed in the cavity 156 of the female mold 1541 on the inner surface of the female mold 1541 before molding the polymeric material M1 on the last 152 to form the internal subshell 851 of the shell 30. This may allow molding of the polymeric material M1 to form the internal subshell 851 and subsequent demolding without using a mold release agent.
As yet another example, in some embodiments, the sheet 615 may be placed on the last 152 before molding the polymeric material M1 to form the internal subshell 851 of the shell 30.
In some cases, the sheet 615 may be applied in planar form onto the last 152 or a given one of the subshells 851-85L that is already molded to acquire the shape of the last 152 or that given one of the subshells 851-85L. In other cases, the sheet 615 may be preformed in a non-planar form conforming to the shape of the last 152 or a given one of the subshells 851-85L before being placed on the last 152 or the given one of the subshells 851-85L.
The sheet 615 may reduce or eliminate parting lines on the shell 30 (i.e., internal and/or external parting lines). For example, the sheet 615 may be configured to avoid at least one parting line on the shell 30 that would otherwise result because of the portions 155, 157 of a given one of the female molds 1541-1543 if the sheet 615 was omitted. This allows one or more parting lines to be avoided as the sheet 615 overlies where these one or more parting lines would otherwise be located.
In another variant, as shown in
The slash guard 515 comprises a cut-resistant material 516 that resists cutting from impacts. In this example, the cut-resistant material 516 is a fabric consisting of aramid (e.g., Kevlar®) or any other suitable cut-resistant material. As such, the slash guard 515 may be pliable due to its fabric nature. In this embodiment, the slash guard 515 is movable with respect to the tendon guard 35 (or the rear portion 82 of the ankle portion 64 of the shell 30) due to the pliability of the cut-resistant material.
In this embodiment, the slash guard 515 is integrated (i.e., built into) the shell 30 and is permanently affixed thereto. In other words, in this embodiment, the slash guard 515 is not intended to be disconnected from the shell 30 without causing damage to the slash guard 515 and/or the shell 30. In particular, in this example of implementation, the slash guard 515 is affixed to the shell 30 by disposing the slash guard 515 between the subshells 851-85L of the shell 30 (i.e., at least one or more of the subshells is overmolded onto the slash guard 515). More specifically, in this embodiment, the slash guard 515 is overlayed over a subshell 85x and a subsequent subshell 85y is molded over the slash guard 515. As such, the slash guard 515 overlaps a portion of the shell 30 sufficient for the slash guard 515 to be permanently affixed between the subshells 85x, 85y without the possibility of accidental removal of the slash guard 515. In this example, the slash guard 515 overlaps a significant portion of the shell 30. In particular, the slash guard 515 extends over a majority of a length of the shell 30 (in the longitudinal direction of the skate 10). A portion of the slash guard 515 extending below the lateral and medial upper edges 45, 47 of the shell 30 may act as a reinforcement element (such as the reinforcement sheet 119) between the subshells 85x, 85y.
The slash guard 515 extends vertically above the lateral and medial upper edges 45, 47 of the shell 30 for a height HP that may be substantial. For example, the height HP of the slash guard 515 extending above lateral and medial upper edges 45, 47 of the shell 30 may be significant in relation to a height HT of the tendon guard 35 measured from a top of the tendon guard 35 to the lateral and medial upper edges 45, 47 of the shell 30. For instance, in some cases, a ratio of the height HP of the slash guard 515 over the height HT of the tendon guard 35 may be at least 0.5, in some cases at least 0.7, in some cases at least 0.9, in some cases at least 1, in some cases at least 1.2, in some cases at least 1.5, in some cases at least 2 and in some cases even more.
As shown in
The slash guard 515 may be configured differently in other examples. For instance, the slash guard 515 may not comprise the rear portion 524 if the tendon guard 35 is considered to provide sufficient protection to the player.
In other embodiments, as shown in
In this example of
In a variant, as shown in
In another variant, one or more of the subshells 851-85L may be sprayed rather than injection molded. For instance, this may allow to more easily form thinner subshells 851-85L (e.g., of 0.1 mm).
In another variant, as shown in
In another variant, as shown in
In another variant, the exterior subshell 853 may be configured to extend into the recess 190 of the blade-retention portion 188 of the blade-retaining base 164 of the blade holder 24. As such, the subshell 853 may contact the blade 26 as it is inserted into the recess 190. This may be useful in examples where the exterior subshell 853 is relatively rigid as it may provide compaction resistance when the blade 26 is inserted in the recess 190.
In some embodiments, as shown in
The polymeric substance 52 constitutes a substantial part of the material Mi and substantially contributes to structural integrity to the subshell 85x. For instance, in some embodiments, the polymeric substance 52 may constitute at least 40%, in some cases at least 50%, in some cases at least 60%, in some cases at least 70%, in some cases at least 80%, and in some cases at least 90% of the material Mi by weight. In this example of implementation, the polymeric substance 52 may constitute between 50% and 90% of the material Mi by weight.
In this embodiment, the polymeric substance 52 may be an elastomeric substance. For instance, the polymeric substance 52 may be a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or a thermoset elastomer (TSE).
More particularly, in this embodiment, the polymeric substance 52 comprises polyurethane. The polyurethane 52 may be composed of any suitable constituents such as isocyanates and polyols and possibly additives. For instance, in some embodiments, the polyurethane 52 may have a hardness in a scale of Shore 00, Shore A, Shore C or Shore D, or equivalent. For example, in some embodiments, the hardness of the polyurethane 52 may be between Shore 5A and 95A or between Shore 40D to 93D. Any other suitable polyurethane may be used in other embodiments.
The polymeric substance 52 may comprise any other suitable polymer in other embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the polymeric substance 52 may comprise silicon, rubber, etc.
The expansion agent 53 is combined with the polyurethane 52. In some cases, this may be done to enhance properties of the material Mi. Alternatively or additionally, in some cases, this may be done to enable expansion of the material Mi to a final shape of the subshell 85x in the mold 154x. For instance, in some embodiments, the expansion agent 54 may constitute at least 10%, in some cases at least 20%, in some cases at least 30%, in some cases at least 40%, in some cases at least 50%, in some cases at least 60%, of the material Mi by weight and in some cases even more. In this example of implementation, the expansion agent 54 may constitute between 15% and 50% of the material Mi by weight.
In this embodiment, as shown in
In this example of implementation, the expandable microspheres 631-63M include dry unexpanded (DU) microspheres when combined with the polymeric substance 52 to create the material Mi before the material Mi is molded. For instance, the dry unexpanded (DU) microspheres may be provided as a powder mixed with one or more liquid constituents of the polymeric substance 52.
The expandable microspheres 631-63M may be provided in various other forms in other embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the expandable microspheres 631-63M may include dry expanded, wet and/or partially-expanded microspheres. For instance, wet unexpanded microspheres may be used to get better bonding with the polymeric substance 52. Partially-expanded microspheres may be used to employ less of the polymeric substance 52, or mix with the polymeric substance 52 in semi-solid form.
In some embodiments, the expandable microspheres 631-63M may constitute at least 10%, in some cases at least 20%, in some cases at least 30%, in some cases at least 40%, in some cases at least 50%, and in some cases at least 60% of the material Mi by weight and in some cases even more. In this example of implementation, the expandable micropsheres 631-63M may constitute between 15% and 50% of the material Mi by weight.
The subshell 85x comprising the material Mi with the polymeric substance 52 and the expandable microspheres 631-63M may have various desirable qualities.
For instance, in some embodiments, the subshell 85x may be less dense and thus lighter than if it was entirely made of the polyurethane 52, yet be more shock-absorbent and/or have other better mechanical properties than if it was entirely made of the expandable microspheres 631-63M.
For example, in some embodiments, a density of the material Mi may be less than a density of the polyurethane 52 (alone). For instance, the density of the material Mi of the subshell 85x may be no more than 70%, in some cases no more than 60%, in some cases no more than 50%, in some cases no more than 40%, in some cases no more than 30%, in some cases no more than 20%, in some cases no more than 10% and in some cases no more than 5% of the density of the polyurethane 52 and in some cases even less. For example, in some embodiments, the density of the material Mi may be between 2 to 75 times less than the density of the polyurethane 52 (i.e., the density of the material Mi may be about 1% to 50% of the density of the polyurethane 52).
The density of the material Mi may have any suitable value. For instance, in some embodiments, the density of the material Mi may be no more than 0.7 g/cm3, in some cases no more than 0.4 g/cm3, in some cases no more than 0.1 g/cm3, in some cases no more than 0.080 g/cm3, in some cases no more than 0.050 g/cm3, in some cases no more than 0.030 g/cm3, and/or may be at least 0.010 g/cm3. In some examples of implementation, the density of the material Mi may be between 0.015 g/cm3 and 0.080 g/cm3, in some cases between 0.030 g/cm3 and 0.070 g/cm3, and in some cases between 0.040 g/cm3 and 0.060 g/cm3.
As another example, in some embodiments, a stiffness of the material Mi may be different from (i.e., greater or less than) a stiffness of the expandable microspheres 631-63M (alone). For instance, a modulus of elasticity (i.e., Young's modulus) of the material Mi may be greater or less than a modulus of elasticity of the expandable microspheres 631-63M (alone). For instance, a difference between the modulus of elasticity of the material Mi and the modulus of elasticity of the expandable microspheres 631-63M may be at least 20%, in some cases at least 30%, in some cases at least 50%, and in some cases even more, measured based on a smaller one of the modulus of elasticity of the material Mi and the modulus of elasticity of the expandable microspheres 631-63M. In some cases, the modulus of elasticity may be evaluated according to ASTM D-638 or ASTM D-412.
As another example, in some embodiments, a resilience of the material Mi may be less than a resilience of the expandable microspheres 631-63M (alone). For instance, in some embodiments, the resilience of the material Mi may no more than 70%, in some cases no more than 60%, in some cases no more than 50%, in some cases no more than 40%, in some cases no more than 30%, and in some cases no more than 20%, and in some cases no more than 10% of the resilience of the expandable microspheres 631-63M according to ASTM D2632-01 which measures resilience by vertical rebound. In some examples of implementation, the resilience of the material Mi may be between 20% and 60% of the resilience of the expandable microspheres 631-63M. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the resilience of the material Mi may be greater than the resilience of the expandable microspheres 631-63M.
The resilience of the material Mi may have any suitable value. For instance, in some embodiments, the resilience of the material Mi may be no more than 40%, in some cases no more than 30%, in some cases no more than 20%, in some cases no more than 10%, and in some cases even less (e.g., 5%), according to ASTM D2632-01, thereby making the subshell 85x more shock-absorbent. In other embodiments, the resilience of the material Mi may be at least 60%, in some cases at least 70%, in some cases at least 80% and in some cases even more, according to ASTM D2632-01, thereby making the material Mi provide more rebound.
As another example, in some embodiments, a tensile strength of the material Mi may be greater than a tensile strength of the expandable microspheres 631-63M (alone). For instance, in some embodiments, the tensile strength of the material Mi may be at least 120%, in some cases at least 150%, in some cases at least 200%, in some cases at least 300%, in some cases at least 400%, and in some cases at least 500% of the tensile strength of the expandable microspheres 631-63M according to ASTM D-638 or ASTM D-412, and in some cases even more.
The tensile strength of the material Mi may have any suitable value. For instance, in some embodiments, the tensile strength of the material Mi may be at least 0.9 MPa, in some cases at least 1 MPa, in some cases at least 1.2 MPa, in some cases at least 1.5 MPa and in some cases even more (e.g., 2 MPa or more).
As another example, in some embodiments, an elongation at break of the material Mi may be greater than an elongation at break of the expandable microspheres 631-63M (alone). For instance, in some embodiments, the elongation at break of the expandable material Mi may be at least 120%, in some cases at least 150%, in some cases at least 200%, in some cases at least 300%, in some cases at least 400%, and in some cases at least 500% of the elongation at break of the expandable microspheres 631-63M according to ASTM D-638 or ASTM D-412, and in some cases even more.
The elongation at break of the material Mi may have any suitable value. For instance, in some embodiments, the elongation at break of the material Mi may be at least 20%, in some cases at least 30%, in some cases at least 50%, in some cases at least 75%, in some cases at least 100%, and in some cases even more (e.g. 150% or more).
In some embodiments, a material of the shell 30 (e.g., a given one of the materials M1-MN) may be a composite material. For example, the composite material may be a fiber-matrix composite material that comprises a matrix in which fibers are embedded. The matrix may include any suitable polymeric resin, such as a thermosetting polymeric material (e.g., polyester, vinyl ester, vinyl ether, polyurethane, epoxy, cyanate ester, etc.), a thermoplastic polymeric material (e.g., polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, acrylic resin, polyether ether ketone, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, nylon, polyimide, polysulfone, polyamide-imide, self-reinforcing polyphenylene, etc.), or a hybrid thermosetting-thermoplastic polymeric material. The fibers may be made of any suitable material such as carbon fibers, polymeric fibers such as aramid fibers, boron fibers, glass fibers, ceramic fibers, etc.
Although in embodiments considered above the skate 10 is designed for playing ice hockey on the skating surface 14 which is ice, in other embodiments, the skate 10 may be constructed using principles described herein for playing roller hockey or another type of hockey (e.g., field or street hockey) on the skating surface 14 which is a dry surface (e.g., a polymeric, concrete, wooden, or turf playing surface or any other dry surface on which roller hockey or field or street hockey is played). Thus, in other embodiments, instead of comprising the blade 26, the skating device 28 may comprise a set of wheels to roll on the dry skating surface 14 (i.e., the skate 10 may be an inline skate or other roller skate). Moreover, in other embodiments, the skate 10 may be a figure skate constructed using principles described herein for figure skating.
Furthermore, although in embodiments considered above the footwear 10 is a skate for skating on the skating surface 14, in other embodiments, the footwear 10 may be any other suitable type of footwear. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments, any feature of any embodiment described herein may be used in combination with any feature of any other embodiment described herein.
Certain additional elements that may be needed for operation of certain embodiments have not been described or illustrated as they are assumed to be within the purview of those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, certain embodiments may be free of, may lack and/or may function without any element that is not specifically disclosed herein.
To facilitate the description, any reference numeral designating an element in one figure designates the same element if used in any other figures. In describing the embodiments, specific terminology has been resorted to for the sake of description but the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is understood that each specific term comprises all equivalents.
In case of any discrepancy, inconsistency, or other difference between terms used herein and terms used in any document incorporated by reference herein, meanings of the terms used herein are to prevail and be used.
Although various embodiments have been illustrated, this was for the purpose of describing, but not limiting, the invention. Various modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art and are within the scope of this invention, which is defined more particularly by the attached claims.
For U.S. purposes, this application is a continuation-in-part of International Application PCT/CA2017/050155 filed on Feb. 9, 2017, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/292,998 filed on Feb. 9, 2016, all of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CA2018/050617 | 5/25/2018 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62292998 | Feb 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/CA2017/050155 | Feb 2017 | US |
Child | 17059137 | US |